Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

When Exactly Was Yeshua the Messiah BORN?

What was the year and time of year when Yeshua the Messiah was born? Millions think he was born on December 25th, Christmas day -- yet ancient history shows this was the day of worship of the birth of the SUN-GOD, Mithras! Some say he was born in 2 or 4 B.C., some say 6 or 7 B.C. But what is the truth? What does HISTORY reveal, and what does Biblical prophecy indicate?

John D. Keyser

When was Yeshua the Messiah born? What was the year -- and the most likely month -- of his birth? These questions have been argued about for centuries, and even today there is great disagreement over them.

What is the truth? Let us carefully investigate these problems and paradoxes, and see what we can learn.

The Scriptures show us that Yeshua the Messiah was born "in the days of Herod the king" (Matt.2:1). Herod was so fixated on the fact that wise men from the East queried him about a child born to be "King of the Jews," that he pretended that he, too, desired to worship him (Matt.2:7-8). The wise men were warned not to return to Herod, and departed into their own country, and Joseph and Mary took Yeshua and fled to Egypt.

When the wise men did not inform Herod of where the prophesied King was, Herod "was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men" (verse 16).

Yeshua, then, had to be born at a maximum of two years before the death of Herod the Great. The gospel of Luke confirms this fact. Luke recorded, "There was in the days of Herod, king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zecharias" (Luke 1:5). During this time, the gospel continues, John the Baptist and Yeshua the Messiah were born.

A Modern View of One So-Called Scholar

An author and self-proclaimed prophet, in an article with a similar title, makes this astounding proclamation --

With all this evidence, it becomes clear -- and plain as day -- that many who profess the name of Christ, and who believe he was born either on December 25 -- the day the pagans worshipped the "reborn sun-god" -- and celebrated the "birthday" of Sol Invictus -- are seriously in error. Also, those who believe that he was born in the fall of the year, around September-October, are equally mistaken. This new evidence clearly points to a birth in FEBRUARY, or late winter, just before spring in 4 B.C.! (When Was Jesus Christ BORN?, p. 18).

This is a pretty radical statement regarding the time of year for the Messiah's birth -- I know of no other author or source that has come up with this outlandish reckoning! Was Yeshua the Messiah really born in February (of all times), or during the Feast of Tabernacles, as others believe? And what about the year 4 B.C.?

The Death of Herod

When Yeshua was born, the gospel of Matthew plainly says, Herod was still king, and very much alive. Yeshua was born "in the days of Herod the king" (Matt.2:1). Herod inquired of the wise men from the east when they had first seen the "star" which heralded his birth and asked them to report back to him when they had found the child. Later, when the wise men did not return to him, he became enraged, and murdered all the children in Bethlehem under two years of age! (Matt.2:16-18). Soon after this event, Herod died (Matt.2:19).

What year, then, did Herod die? Let's notice the evidence. In Insight On the Scriptures, we read: "So if, as Josephus says, Herod died 37 years after his appointment by Rome and 34 years after his capture of Jerusalem, and if those years are counted in each case according to the regnal year, his death could have been in 1 B.C.E. Presenting an argument to this effect in The Journal of Theological Studies, W.E. Filmer writes that evidence from Jewish tradition indicates that Herod's death occurred on Shebat 2 (the month of Shebat falls in January-February of our calendar).("Herod," p.1093).

Likewise, the Date of Christ's Birth relates: "Josephus said it was 27 years to the day that Pompey committed his abominations, which he did in 63 B.C. This gives again 36 B.C. for Herod's capture of Jerusalem. If we use the common accession method of counting years of rule, the date to start his 34th year is on the first of Nisan in 35 B.C. So Herod's 34th year of rule would start with the 1st of Nisan in 2 B.C. and end with the first of Nisan in 1 B.C. Now 34 years after 35 B.C. would give 1 B.C. for the death and end of the reign of Herod...(pages 1-2).

The Star that Astonished the World points out, "This is the war that Jewish scholars call The War of Varus. It is the war that took place in Galilee, Judaea and Idumaea JUST AFTER the death of Herod which started with the massacre of the 3000 Jewish worshippers in the temple at the Passover of 1 B.C....The War of Varus actually broke out in Palestine in 1 B.C. And at that very time, the Roman records show that the Armenians in the northeastern section of the Empire also began to stir up rebellion....Truly, Herod died in early 1 B.C. and The War of Varus took place in the Summer and Autumn of 1 B.C. with Gaius Caesar in Idumaea for the conclusion of that war" (pp. 107, 111 and 118).

For centuries the evidence from astronomy has played a crucial role in the traditional conclusion that Herod died in the spring of 4 B.C. The date of a reported lunar eclipse, shortly before Herod's death, has been used to determine that event; unfortunately, the eclipse that most of the references have singled out was that of March 13, 4 B.C. Recent re-evaluations, however, have raised serious questions about that eclipse, and two other dates have been preferred -- January 10, 1 B.C. and September 15, 5 B.C. More on this later.

Herod was so cruel that he jealously murdered Hyrcanus, the grandfather of his favorite wife, Miriamne; then murdered Miriamne whom he passionately loved; then his two sons by her, Alexander and Aristobulus; and just five days before his own death, his oldest son, Antipater! To be sure there would be universal mourning at his own death, he ordered the deaths of all the nobles assembled around him after his decease. He was such a monster, that Augustus Caesar, upon hearing he had put to death "boys under two years" of age, an obvious reference to the innocents he had murdered at Bethlehem to prevent the birth of the Messiah, said of him, "that it were better to be Herod's swine than his son."

When did Herod die? Says the Insight On the Scriptures:

Writes Juan Antonio Revilla in his article On the Year of Herod's Death --

Nevertheless, the proponents of the theory that Herod died in 4 B.C. keep repeating over and over again that "Dionysius was wrong," even though nobody has ever explained why convincingly. It is an assumption based on a false premise, because Herod did not die in 4 B.C. but in the year 1 B.C....The assertion regarding the year 4 B.C. is refutable on many grounds...(page 5).

Also, in the article Was There a Second Census Under Quirinius That We Know Of? by Paul R. Finch, we read:

Herod at this time [4 B.C.] changed his will and completely expunged Antipater's name from memory. It is assumed by many that shortly after this Herod died and was succeeded by Archelaus. But when Archelaus assumed power he was reckoned by Josephus as one who "had long exercised royal authority" (War II.26). Obviously, Archelaus reckoned his rule from 4 B.C. while Herod was still alive. And Herod remained alive another three years (page 2).

And then, on page 5 of The Date of Herod's Death: The Errors Corrected, by Murrell Selden, we find --

Based upon the writings of Josephus (which appear to be mostly accurate), the anchor date of the war between Antony and Octavius Caesar, and calculations of relevant lunar events, it appears that Herod the Great died in 1 B.C.E. (not 4 B.C.E.) though 4 B.C.E. has been favored, because it has a lunar eclipse on a fast day. But, an analysis of what Josephus said about Herod's kingships indicates the error in the thinking.

The year Herod died there was an eclipse. Josephus records, during Herod's final year, that at the time he slew the high priest Matthias, "that very night there was an eclipse of the moon" (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, XVII, VI, 4). Says the editor, William Whiston, in a footnote:

While many assume this eclipse occurred on March 13th, 4 B.C., there is much evidence to refute this.

In the article The Date of Christ's Birth (Bible Studies at the Moorings) we find written:

Further Evidence on Herod's Death

In the article by our erstwhile author and prophet, he presents the writings of Emil Schurer (A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ) to back up his claims that the death of Herod had to be in 4 B.C. Notice what Schurer says:

Let's examine what Mr. Schurer says. In point #1 Schurer conveniently leaves out the fact that an eclipse also occurred on January 10, 1 B.C. He also omits the eclipses of March 23, 5 B.C. and the one of September 15, 5 B.C. That sounds like stacking the cards to me!

The problems with the 4 B.C. eclipse are many. According to the Insight On the Scriptures, "That eclipse in 4 B.C.E. was of only 36-percent magnitude and would have attracted the attention of very few people at the early morning hour that it occurred." (Vol. 1, p. 455, "Chronology"). Most eclipses, except total ones, are not even noticeable to most people and cannot be seen by eyesight. Notice what D. Justin Schove says in his book Chronology of Eclipses and Comets --

We find that the overall partial p-type [such as occurred on March 12/13, 4 B.C.] eclipses of Oppolzer were never noticed, and even the annular r-type were often missed. Most of the early records [such as Josephus] relate to eclipses THAT WERE TOTAL, either at the place of observation or within a few hundred miles of the track of totality.....Total eclipses are rare; at any one place the average is three times in a millennium...(1984, p. x).

Regarding partial eclipses -- such as that of March 12/13, 4 B.C. -- Schove goes on to say:

....[concerning partial eclipses] Such eclipses are more frequent than is usually supposed, for they occur about once every 2 1/2 years at any given location. However, the loss of light is smaller than heavy clouds would produce and partial eclipses usually passed unnoticed by the astronomically-unsophisticated chronicler....Astronomers, and those who have been forewarned, MAY notice an eclipse of magnitude 0.70 [70%] if they see it in a reflection, at sunset or through thin cloud or haze....The average person notices a thin solar crescent of a solar eclipse only when the magnitude reaches 0.99 [99%] (ibid., p. xv)

What this is saying is that neither an astronomer, nor those who were forewarned, nor an average person, would see an eclipse of 36%! It would seem strange that Josephus would use such an obscure and unnoticeable eclipse as a chronological marker in his work. And even more strange when you realize that he mentions only ONE eclipse in his entire writings, period! The bottom line is that this eclipse was a non-event and definitely WAS NOT the one Josephus was referring to!

Another major problem with the March 12/13, 4 B.C. eclipse is the fact that there simply wasn't enough time between Herod's death (assuming it occurred in this year) and the following Passover to fit all the events mentioned by Josephus. He recounts a complex chain of events between the eclipse and the Passover, such as --

1/. Herod's sickness increased; part of his body putrified and bred worms.

According to Ernest L Martin, "One has to allow two or three days after the eclipse for Herod's physical deterioration to become noticeable. His physicians then tried 'one remedy after another.' (Josephus, War, I.657.) For several remedies to be practiced on Herod in order to cure him occupied at least four or five days -- a remedy for each day. The elapsed time for these events would reasonably occupy (at a bare minimum): ONE WEEK" (The Star that Astonished the World, pp. 75-76).

2/. He was taken at least ten miles to warm baths and returned when treatment failed.

According to Josephus these various remedies performed on Herod failed to halt his deteriorating condition. Writes Martin, "The physicians then recommended that he leave Jericho...and retreat to the mineral baths at Callirrhoe. These baths were located on the Dead Sea about 25 miles southeast of Jericho....Since he was very ill -- and getting worse -- it would have taken at least a day for him to have been carefully transported to the baths -- probably longer. He then began a period of treatment using the mineral waters. The therapy certainly took two or three days to give the chemicals in the waters a chance to work. But the use of the baths gave Herod no sign of inproving his condition. He then ordered his attendants to carry him back to Jericho. The elapsed time for these events associated with taking Herod to the baths of Callirrhoe and returning to Jericho would have occupied at least ONE WEEK..." (ibid., p. 76). The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be TWO WEEKS.

3/. He ordered important men to come from every village in the nation (up to 130 miles); they arrived.

"It was during his fatal sickness that he ordered the slaughter of his scheming son Antipater. Also, knowing that the Jews would rejoice upon hearing of his own death, Herod commanded the most illustrious men of the Jewish nation to gather at a place called the Hippodrome, at Jericho, and there had them shut in. He then gave a command to those near him that, when he died, the news of his death should not be announced until these Jewish leaders were first killed. Then, said he, every family in Judea would certainly weep at his funeral. This order was never carried out" (Insight On the Scriptures, pp. 1092-93, "Herod").

Adds Ernest Martin -- "This heinous plan was put into action. Messengers were sent from Jericho to all parts of Herod's realm bearing orders for the elders of the cities and villages to appear at Jericho on pain of death for their refusal. Since the northern cities of Herod's kingdom were at least 130 miles away, a period of 3 days for the couriers to reach the elders [remember, they didn't have telegraph or telephones in those days!], a day or so for them to prepare for the trip, and then 3 or 4 days for the elders to reach Jericho would occupy, at the very least, a week's time...The elapsed time for this assemblage of elders was at the very least ONE WEEK..." (The Star that Astonshed the World, pp. 76-77). The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be THREE WEEKS.

4/. Herod's son Antipater was executed and Herod died five days later (on or after the first day of his 34th regnal year -- probably March 29 if a 4 B.C. death is assumed).

Records Josephus: "Hereupon Herod, who had formerly no affection nor good-will towards his son to restrain him, when he heard what the jailer said...sent for some of his guards, and comanded them to kill Antipater without any further delay, and to do it presently, and to bury him in an ignoble manner at Hyrcania....When he had done those things, he died, the fifth day after he had caused Antipater to be slain..." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVII, chap. VII & chap. VIII, 1).

Notes Martin -- "...letters came from Augustus in Rome giving Herod permission to kill his son Antipater. The king had him executed immediately and Herod died 5 days later....The elapsed time for these events would reasonably occupy 5 to 7 days..." (TSTATW, p. 77). The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be FOUR WEEKS.

5/. A magnificent funeral was planned and held for Herod, whose body was carried about 25 miles and then buried.

Josephus gives an extensive account of the funeral "celebration," which throws the possibility of the March 12/13, 4 B.C. eclipse being the one Josephus intended right out the window! A funeral procession carried the embalmed body some 25 miles to the burial site. Walking in bare feet, as required in mourning, and covering only one mile each day, this event alone would have taken 25 days -- almost 4 weeks! William Whiston, a translator of Josephus' writings, states in a footnote that "At eight stadia or furlongs a day, Herod's funeral, conducted to Herodium, which lay at the distance from Jericho, where he died, of 200 stadia or furlongs, MUST HAVE TAKEN NO LESS THAN TWENTY-FIVE DAYS" (The Complete Works of Josephus, footnote p. 367).

On top of this, we have to allow time for the funeral preparations, the embalming of Herod's body and the arrival of foreign guests from around the Empire and surrounding countries. There is also the mourning periods to take into account. Writes Ernest Martin -- "These necessary religious ceremonies show that just over a FOUR WEEK period elapsed from the death of Herod until he was finally buried at the Herodian. Note the periods of public and private mourning. This point is a very significant factor in determining the interval of time between Herod's death and his burial. The fact is, there were two types of mourning periods that were accomplished at the death of a king or someone who was of national prestige...the first was a public mourning period of THIRTY DAYS begun immediately after the death of an important person (Numbers 20:29; Deuteronomy 34:8). There was also a further SEVEN DAYS mourning period for the close relatives which took place AFTER THE BURIAL (Numbers 19:14)" (TSTATW, p. 86). Since the funeral itself would have taken place during the mourning period, the 25 days should not be added to the 30. The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be EIGHT WEEKS.

6/. A 7-day mourning began, followed by a funeral feast.

As mentioned above, a 7-day private mourning period went into effect after the 30-day public mourning period. "Once Herod was buried, then Archelaus and the immediate family had to undergo their further seven days private mourning period. After those seven days, a funeral feast was then ordered by Archelaus for the people of Jerusalem. This would mean that the public mourning period (called the Sheloshim) and also Archelaus' private mourning period, as well as the funeral feast would have been concluded (at the bare minimum) about NINE WEEKS after the eclipse of the Moon, probably a little longer" (ibid., p. 86). The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be NINE WEEKS.

7/. Archelaus assumed full kingship and carried out numerous activities before Passover.

Josephus records a number of other things that took place in Jerusalem BEFORE the Passover occurred that year. We are told that word of Herod's death had reached Rome, and a Roman legate was dispatched to protect the royal treasury before the crowning of his successor. The legate apparently was present at the installation of Herod's son Archelaus, who also had time to issue several decrees before the Passover season. Explains Martin -- "He [Archelaus] gave audience to the people as a king. He made changes in the duties of army personnel and he conferred promotions on numerous officers. He also took time to liberate many prisoners confined by his father, and publicly heard and made decisions on a number of lawsuits occurring in the courts...Nicolas of Damascus (whom Josephus was quoting) said Archelaus did these official duties 'and many other things' between the time when all the public and private mourning periods and the funeral feast were completed and when the beginning of the Passover season took place. Sheer reason would have to allow a minimum of ONE WEEK for these official duties of Archelaus to have taken place when he resumed his normal executive activities. And after all these requirements were met by Archelaus and the general population, then came the Passover" (ibid., pp. 86-87). The elapsed time from the eclipse would now be TEN WEEKS.

However, these figures are very conservative and, to be reasonable, one has to admit that a few days more would make the historical scenario fit much better and allow a more realistic timetable. Therefore, the interval of time was more than likely near TWELVE WEEKS. Since lunar eclipses can only take place at Full Moon, the interval between the Full Moon day of March 12/13, 4 B.C. to the beginning of Passover in 4 B.C. (the next Full Moon day) is an interval of only 29 DAYS on the Jewish calendar! I think you can see the problem -- there is absolutely no way, shape or form that all these events associated with Herod's death and funeral can possibly be squeezed into a 29-day time-frame!

While we are still on the topic of the March 12/13, 4 B.C. eclipse, there are a number of other considerations to address. The traditional date for the death of Herod is Shebat 2, which was the 11th month in the Jewish calendar. The eclipse of March 12/13, 4 B.C. would have occurred on Adar 14, the 12th Month. Therefore, the eclipse would have taken place approximately six weeks AFTER Herod's traditional date of death. Another obvious contradiction.

Also, the events mentioned in Josephus are associated with an annual Jewish FAST. The annual Jewish fasts only occurred in months four, five, seven and ten! Since the eclipse of March 12/13, 4 B.C. took place in the 12TH MONTH, it obviously does not correlate with any of the fasts and has to be eliminated as the one Josephus was referring to.

To summarize : "First century historian Flavius Josephus gives an extensive account of events surrounding the death of Herod. The narrative begins with a lunar eclipse, followed by Herod's death and funeral, and his son's accession to the throne before Passover. A lunar eclipse in 4 BCE on March 13 was thought to be the first event, with Passover following 29 days later. But, let's re-examine this scenario. First of all, the eclipse was only 40% total [36%, actually] -- hardly spectacular. A messenger from Rome arrived some 5 days before Herod's death, but after the eclipse (which coincided with some political executions ordered by Herod).

"Second, Josephus gives an extensive account of the funeral "celebration" which makes this seem even less likely. A funeral procession carried the embalmed body some 25 miles to the burial site. Walking in bare feet, as required in mourning, and covering only 1 mile each day. We are told that word of Herod's death had reached Rome, and a Roman legate was dispatched to protect the royal treasury before the crowning of his successor. The legate apparently was present at the installation of Herod's son Archelaus, who also had time to issue several decrees before the Passover...10 weeks [probably more like 12] would have been required for all the events surrounding the death and funeral to be accomplished, not a mere 29 days if the 4 BCE scenario is to be believed" (George F. Spagna, Jr., What Star is This? -- Some Thoughts On the Star of Bethlehem, pp. 1-2).

What About the Other Eclipses?

It is not difficult to figure out which eclipse Josephus was referring to if we eliminate all the unqualified lunar eclipses that were seen in Palestine from 7 B.C. to early 1 B.C. We have already shown that it is impossible to squeeze all the events mentioned by Josephus from his lunar eclipse to the next Passover season into a 29-day period that the March 12/13, 4 B.C. eclipse demands. So let us look elsewhere.

There were four eclipses in 7 B.C. -- all of which were Penumbral. Since Penumbral eclipses are even harder to see than partials, we can erase this year from the slate. In 6 B.C. there were two eclipses, both partials. So this year comes off the slate. There were two total eclipses in 6 B.C., so let's take a closer look at these. There was an eclipse on March 23, 5 B.C. This eclipse, however, suffers from most of the same problems plaguing the eclipse of March 12/13, 4 B.C.! There were still only 29 days between March 23 and the Passover of 5 B.C. and no time for all the intervening events surrounding Herod's death. Writes Ernest Martin --

And besides, early 5 B.C. for the death of Herod plays havoc with all the chronological indications of Josephus and Roman records regarding the period of Herod's death. Why even the scholars now have to add an extra year to Herod's reign of 34 years from Antigonus' death (reckoning only two or three days of Nisan in 4 B.C. as a whole year) to make any reasonable sense out of their calculations. A 5 B.C. date would cause utter chaos in the records of Josephus (The Star that Astonished the World, pp. 98-99).

That takes care of early 5 B.C. So what about the one later in the year -- September 15, 5 B.C.? If this was the eclipse mentioned by Josephus, then seven months would have passed before the next Passover. This is way too long for all the events surrounding Herod's death to have taken place. But there is another point -- notice!

Herod was in Jericho when the eclipse near his death occurred. The city is a furnace in late summer. It is situated just over 800 feet (c. 240 meters) below sea level and its mid-September temperatures are very high [remember -- they didn't have air conditioning in those days!]. Why would Herod who was uncomfortably ill at the time, subject himself to such oppressive conditions in the Jordan Valley when the pleasant environment of Jerusalem was so near? It might be added, however, that if the eclipse were in the depth of Winter, one could easily understand Herod's wish to be in Jericho (ibid., pp. 99-100).

So -- for another very good reason -- the eclipse of September 15, 5 B.C. fails the test. There is yet another reason involving the priest Matthias being deposed from office by Herod but, since this is rather involved, we will skip it at this point.

The facts of history are certain on these matters -- the eclipse of September 15, 5 B.C. completely fails as a candidate for the eclipse mentioned by Josephus!

So where do we go from here? There were two eclipses in 4 B.C. -- the one on March 12/13 has already been eliminated. The remaining one occurred on September 5, and has to be wiped off the slate due to it being a partial eclipse -- plus the fact that there was too much time between Herod's death and the Passover. In 3 B.C. there were a total of four eclipses -- all of them Penumbral and not visible in Palestine. That brings us to 2 B.C. There were two of them in this year, both partials and also not visible in Palestine. So that brings us down to 1 B.C. What about this year?

The Eclipse of January 9/10, 1 B.C.

There were three eclipses in 1 B.C. -- two totals and one partial. However, the one of January 9/10 has to be the one mentioned by Josephus. All the events surrounding Herod's death fit comfortably into the time-frame between this eclipse and the following Passover -- and ONLY with this eclipse, as we shall see.

Recognizing that the January 9/10, 1 B.C. is the one mentioned by Josephus, scholars have wondered for some time why Josephus picked this one eclipse out of the hundreds that occurred over the number of years that are covered by his histories. Why single out this one? One reason was mentioned by D. Justin Schove in his book Chronology of Eclipses and Comets: "Total eclipses are RARE; at any one place the average is three times in a millennium" (1984, p. x). This, in itself, would have been a good reason for Josephus to mention this particular eclipse -- it would have been a momentous event in that part of the country, which everybody would have seen and commented on.

The eclipse of January 9/10, 1 B.C. is listed as eclipse #1,860 in Theodor Oppolozer's Canon of Eclipses (Dover, New York, 1962). That eclipse, according to John Pratt (Ph. D in Astronomy), was listed as total for 51 minutes near midnight and centered over 15 degrees east longitude -- which is perfect for having been observed in Jerusalem. The only other eclipse to consider for that year occurred on July 5, but it was over the Pacific Ocean and not viewable in Jerusalem.

Further, there was a fast in the month of Tebeth on the 10th of the sacred calendar. It so happened that Nebuchadnezzar began his siege of Jerusalem on this date and completed it 18 months later on Tammuz 9. There were four annual fasts and a special year-end fast (Adar 14-15) of the Jews as follows --

1/. Tammuz 9, Fast of the 4th Month, Part of June or July

2/. Ab 10, Fast of the 5th Month, Part of July or August

3/. Tishri 15, Fast of the 7th Month, Part of September or October

4/. Tebbeth 10, Fast of the 10th Month, Part of December or January

5/. Adar 14, 15, Fast of the 12th Month, Part of February or March

There were also two other days in which no mourning was permitted. These days are mentioned in a Jewish document called the Megillath Taanith (Scroll of Fasting) which was composed shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. One day was on Kislev 7, which corresponds, in most years, with our December. The other day mentioned in the scroll was Shebat 2, which corresponds to our late January or early February. These were days in which no mourning was allowed.

Now, the events mentioned in Josephus, regarding Herod's death, were associated with an annual Jewish FAST. The eclipse of January 9/10 fell on Tebbeth 14, and we can see from the above information that this was just a few days after the Fast of the 10th Month (Tebbeth 10). This fits perfectly with the general history that Herod died shortly after an eclipse occurring during the month of a fast, but slightly before Passover (about 10 weeks before) which is enough time for all the events described by Josephus to have taken place.

No one seems to know why the two days of feasting in the Scroll of Fasting are were commemorated, yet they must have been days of joy ordained before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The question is: What did they honor? Explains Ernest Martin --

An early Jewish commentator who probably lived in the seventh century wrote a brief remark to Kislev 7 (December 5th): "The day of Herod's death." However, M. Moise Schwab, who studied the information about the scroll [the Megillath Taanith] very extensively, felt that it was really the second of the days, SHEBAT 2 (JANUARY 28TH) that was the actual day commemorating Herod's death. And interestingly, this latter date fits remarkably well with the January 10 eclipse of Josephus. Herod's death on this very day would have occurred 18 days after the eclipse. All the information in Josephus about Herod's activities between the eclipse and his death fit compatibility with the chronological facts (TSTATW, p.102).

As mentioned above, Shebat 2 is one of the undesignated Jewish festival days mentioned in the Megillath Taanith scroll -- and the fact that Schwab indicates that it points to the day of Herod's death makes perfect sense. Josephus records that Herod himself said "I know well enough that the Jews will keep a FESTIVAL upon my death..." (Wars of the Jews, Book 1, Chap. XXXIII, 6). Shebat 2 fits the historical timetable perfectly, and the events Josephus recorded between Herod's death and the next Passover fit chronologically in a fluent and logical fashion. The other commemorative days likely are for the day the golden eagle was torn down from the eastern portal of the Temple (Kislev 7); and the day the rabbis were tried and sentenced for their part in tearing down the golden eagle (Tebeth 9).

The War of Quintilius Varus

A major Roman/Jewish war took place in the Summer and Autumn of 1 B.C. as a result of Herod's death and the massacre of the 3,000 Jewish worshippers in the Temple during the Passover of 1 B.C. For this reason alone, no other eclipse before or after the one of January 9/10, 1 B.C. need be considered as the one recorded by Josephus. Known as the War of Varus it involved about 20,000 men of the regular Roman military forces in the province of Syria -- some three legions plus auxiliaries and allied troops. This war against the Jews was conducted by the governor of Syria, Quintilius Varus, and took place in Galilee, Judaea and Idumaea. It was a major war that prompted the awarding of an "imperial acclamation" to the Roman emperor of the time at its satisfactory conclusion. This war was so serious that the grandson of Augustus, Gaius Caesar, was hurredly dispatched from Rome to Syria "under the stress of necessity" to put it down.

Those ministers and scholars who place Herod's death in early 4 B.C. have a problem -- they also have to place the War of Varus in the summer of 4 B.C. since the two are closely linked together time-wise. The problem with this is the fact that the summer of 4 B.C. was during the time known as the "Augustan peace." This was a general peace in the Roman Empire that lasted from 7 B.C. to 2 B.C. Notes Ernest Martin -- "They have had to do so because of their erroneous selection of the March 13, 4 B.C. eclipse of the Moon as that associated with the death of Herod. But this is nonsense and this makes the Roman records THREE YEARS OUT OF PHASE with reality" (TSTATW, p. 111).

There is simply no Roman records or testimony -- whether it be literature, coins or inscriptions -- that would place such a major war in 4 B.C. -- right in the middle of the "Augustan peace"! But if this war is correctly dated three years later to 1 B.C., we find many important Roman references to it. While Varus successfully quelled the rebellion in Galilee and Judaea, it required the help of Gaius Caesar to put down the fighting in Idumaea. Writes Martin: "There were 10,000 Jewish insurgents in the area that had to br pacified. And note this. This last bit of 'mopping up' operations, as our new chronological reconstruction shows, occurred in the Autumn of 1 B.C. This would have been the exact time that Gaius Caesar was in the region securing those victories that brought him fame" (ibid., p. 114).

There is an historical document -- The Assumption of Moses -- that now makes sense, whereas before it was a puzzle to those who placed Herod's death in 4 B.C. This eyewitness account of The War of Varus discusses the person who secured the victory, and the Jewish writer of the account (who lived in Judaea) stated that the war was conducted by a "king" who had come from the west to gain the victory. Explains Martin --

The reference has normally been applied to Quintilius Varus because historians up to now have assumed the war mentioned by this Jewish writer took place in 4 B.C. This, of course, was three years BEFORE Gaius Caesar arrived on the scene in late 1 B.C. But now we know that Gaius was in this very region at the conclusion of The War of Varus. And much truer to the Jewish author's acccount, Gaius had come directly from the west to end the war and he had all the credentials to be called a "king." Varus hardly fits the account. The Roman governor was not a "king" and he came from the north, not the west! Even this reference is helpful in showing that The War of Varus ended in 1 B.C. and that Gaius ("a king") was there to help in the "mopping up" operations (ibid., p. 115).

There is an inscription -- even more significant in determining the true eclipse and death of Herod -- that was uncovered in Greece in 1960. This inscription mentions the activities of Gaius while he was on his military mission to the east. It mentions great victories but does not specify exactly what they were. What was written on this inscription, however, has an important bearing on fixing the correct date for the death of Herod.

 

 

 

Further, in Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, volume 1, concerning the birth of Christ, we read concerning the death of king Herod:

Ernest Martin, however, claims the eclipse mentioned by Josephus is not the one in April 13, 4 B.C. Josephus says that the night of the eclipse Herod "burnt alive" a priest who had raised a sedition, but no such execution could have taken place, says Martin, because that day was the second day of Purim, Adar 15. However, the indication is that since Herod was very sickly, and residing in Jericho at the time, he had members of the Sanhedrin and the criminals brought to Jericho for trial and execution, to avoid the probable disturbance such an event could have caused among the population of Jerusalem. Jericho is out in the desert, with relatively few people around. Thus Herod wasn't so "dumb" after all! Since when did he care much for Jewish "legal" technicalities, when he was enraged, infuriated, and half-mad?

Martin claims the eclipse of Josephus was an eclipse that occurred on January 10, 1 B.C. Thus Martin has the death of Herod in January, 1 B.C., with Christ's birth in September of 3 B.C. -- a year and a half earlier. But putting the death of Herod as late as B.C. 1 creates all kinds of problems with chronology, and the historical records of the reigns of Herod's two sons, both of whom are stated to have begun reigning no later than B.C.4!

Also, Martin claims that "The Book of Revelation plainly tells us in chapter 12 that Christ was born on the Day of Trumpets." Is this really true? Revelation 12 says no such thing -- read it. It merely describes a "woman" (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of 12 stars on her head, who gave birth to a son (Christ) (Rev.12:1-3, 5). The "sun" is a type of Abraham (the Father), the moon is a type of "Isaac" (a type of Christ, the Bridegroom), the "woman" is a type of Jacob (who gave his name to Israel), the twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel. This passage proves nothing at all about Jesus' date of birth.

The Course of Abiyah

What time of the year, then, was Yeshua the Messiah born?

The actual day of the birth of Christ is not known for certain, but we can know the approximate time of year when He was born. In the book of Luke we read that the father of John the Baptist was Zacharias, and he was a priest who served at the temple in Jerusalem. He was "of the course of Abia" (Luke 1:5). While serving at the temple, he was informed by an angel that his wife was to have a son, who was to be named "John." After this, Zacharias finished "the days of his ministration," and "departed to his own house" (v.23). "And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived . . ." (v.24).

The names of the different courses of priests that served at the Temple are given in I Chronicles 24:1-19. "Abia" or "Abijah" was the EIGHTH course. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, each one of these courses served at the Temple for one week, the first course serving the first week of Nisan, in the spring (compare I Chron.27:1-2), and then each course in its own order. All the priests served during the annual festivals (Passover in spring, Pentecost, and then Tabernacles in the fall). After six months, the order would be repeated, thus each "course" would serve two weeks during a year.

The course of Abijah, then, would have served the eighth week in the rotation. The eighth week from Nisan 1, leaving out the week of Passover, when all the priests served, would have been IYAR 27 TO SIVAN 5, the day just before Pentecost, which generally fell on Sivan 6. The eighth week in the fall rotation would have been CHESHVAN 26-KISLEV 2.

If Zacharias received his angelic message during his first rotation, then, after serving a week in the Temple, Zacharias would have remained another week in Jerusalem, because of the Feast of Shavuot. Then, he would have returned home shortly after this, and his wife then would have conceived. This would have been about June. If we add nine months to this date, the normal time for the gestation of a human baby in the womb, John the Baptist would have been born about March, in the spring, shortly before the Passover. But if Zacharias had been serving during his SECOND rotation, in Cheshvan-Kislev, he would have returned home immediately after the service, in early Kislev. Then John the Baptist's birth would have been September- October.

Jesus was conceived about six months after John (Luke 1:24-31, especially verse 26). This would suggest that Jesus Christ was conceived either about Kishlev in the winter, or Sivan in the spring. Nine months from Kislev (approximately December) would place His birth about the middle of September. Nine months from Sivan would place His birth in SHEVAT (corresponding to February!).

Let's notice the chronology of events. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, served in the Temple twice a year, with his course, the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5-7), which was the eighth course (I Chron.24:7-19). There were 24 courses in all. Each course served for one week, in succession (except for weeks when annual Festivals fell, when all priests served together). Josephus tells us:

The first course began serving the first week in Nisan. After six months, the order of courses would be repeated, beginning the first week in Tishri. Thus Zacharias served approximately the first week in June, and six months later, the first week in December. Shortly after he served his assigned duties, his wife conceived (Luke 1:5-13, 23-24). Nine months later John was born. So if we add 9 months to these dates, we find that John was either born in February-March, or August-September.

Jesus Christ was born six months after John (Luke 1:26, 36). Thus Christ could have been born either around September, or around February-March! -- just the opposite month from John! Was Christ born around March, or September?

Crucial Events Surrounding Christ's Birth

We know that when Christ was born, He was born in manger in Bethlehem, and shepherds, told by an angel of His birth, visited Him and found Him "wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12-17). Eight days later Mary and Joseph had Him circumcised, according to the commandment (Luke 2:21). Mary then fulfilled the days of her purification -- another 33 days, for a male baby -- which culminated 40 days after His birth (Luke 2:22-24; compare Lev.12:2-8). Joseph and Mary were obviously poor, for the offering they offered at this time was a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons (Luke 2:24; Lev.12:8).

Sometime not too long after His birth, the wise men visited Him, and gave Him gifts (Matt.2:1-11). When they arrived, they found him as a "young child" (Matt.2:9, 11). He was no longer a swaddling baby, but now a "young child." The Greek word translated "young child" is paidiske and means "an infant or by extension, a half grown boy or girl." Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon shows it can refer to a young infant recently born, a more advanced child, or even a mature child or partly grown children. The chronology of Christ's birth, however, shows the family of Joseph was no longer in a manger when the wise men visited them --for we read, "when they were come into the house, they saw the young child" (Matt.2:11).

Their visit could have been around 30 days after His birth, or about the time of His being taken to the Temple, 40 days after His birth! Immediately after this visit, Joseph was warned take the child and Mary, and "flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him" (Matt.2:13). "When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son" (Matt.2:13-15).

Herod, seeing the wise men had ignored his command to return to him after they found the child, became enraged, and had every child in Bethlehem killed up to two years of age, "according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men" (v.16).

Shepherds WERE in the Fields in WINTER!

What does this chronology of events tell us of the birth of Christ? For years, many of us have assumed and believed that Christ was born in the autumn of the year. The major proof offered for this was that shepherds were abiding in the fields when He was born, and several ancient authorities tell us that shepherds did not abide in the fields during the winter time. This of course ruled out a "Christmas" birth! Since there were shepherds abiding in the fields by night when He was born (Luke 2:8), we assumed that this ruled out any birth from the months of November through February. This seemed conclusive evidence for a fall birth.

Supporting this view is a comment by Werner Keller in The Bible As History, who quotes a remark in the Jewish Talmud which says in effect that "in that neighborhood the flocks were put out to grass in March and brought in again at the beginning of November. They remained out in the open for almost eight months" (p.332).

Since the shepherds were "abiding in the fields by night" when Christ was born, therefore, His birth had to occur between March and September. However, Herod died shortly before Passover in B.C.4. Before his death, he had hundreds of infants slain in Bethlehem. During the last few months of his life, he was desperately ill, and abode at hot springs near the Dead Sea, and otherwise in Jericho, just north of the Dead Sea -- not at Jerusalem. Furthermore, when the wise men visited him, he was still at Jerusalem (Matt.2:1-3). He was troubled by what the wise men told him, "and all Jerusalem with him" (v.3). This visit, therefore, occurred sometime after the birth of Christ -- probably about 30 to 40 days afterward. At the very least, this would push the birth of Christ back to at least early February, based on the evidence concerning the birth of Christ.

Could Christ have been born in February? Supporting this view, I have learned that the lambing season for new-born lambs in Israel, England, and America, begins in the month of February. Many new-born lambs are birthed during February. Since Jesus is referred to in the Scriptures as the "Lamb of God," it follows that perhaps His birth, too, would have been in late winter (February) or early spring!

What about the fact that shepherds did not abide in the fields during the winter months? This supposed "fact" turns out to be more "old wives' tales" and fiction that true fact. Afred Edersheim in The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah, points out this fascinating fact:

My own calculations, using the principles of mathematics devised to ascertain ancient dates of the Jewish calendar, indicates that Passover (Nisan 14) during the year 4 B.C. would have been April 11. Edersheim says Passover (Nisan 15) was April 12th. We are in complete agreement!

If Passover occurred around April 12 that year, and Herod died a few days before that event, the murder of the children at Bethlehem could have occurred in the first week or ten days of April. The flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt could have occurred during the last week of March. The 40 days of purification could have been from about February 15 to March 26. Thus according to this scenario, Christ could have been born in early or mid-February, 4 B.C.

But what about the shepherds "abiding in the fields"?

Edersheim discusses this issue, as well. He informs us:

For 40 years, I assumed that shepherds did not abide in the fields around Jerusalem or Bethlehem during the winter months, from October-November till March-April. Herbert Armstrong insisted on this being one of the strong proofs that Christ could not have been born in the month of December.

Well, Christ was not born in December. But that does not mean He could not very well have been born in FEBRUARY, YEAR 4 B.C.!!!

Isn't it about time we wake up, and wash the filmy gloss from our eyes, and rinse them in the Word of God, so that we can see -- clearly? Shepherds DID ABIDE in the fields around Bethlehem in the winter months -- the TEMPLE FLOCKS of the Migdal Eder watchtower, pastured on or near the road to Jerusalem the YEAR AROUND!

Since the serving and officiating of Zacharias, as a priest at the Temple, shows John the Baptist had to be born either February-March or August-September, and since Christ was born six months later, His birth would have been six months later. Thus a February birth for Jesus Christ is altogether very probable! The rush of events in Herod's last days, and his growing paranoia and insanity and wrathful temper, also places the birth of Christ as being sandwiched in amongst all those other sanguinary events!

In the book of Numbers we read of the coming Messiah of Israel, the Redeemer and Saviour of the world, this mysterious prophecy:

All commentators see this as a prophecy of the coming Messiah figure of Israel. But few have noted that it seems to be speaking of a Messiah who comes twice -- the first time, as a "star" out of Jacob, and a second time as a "scepter" -- that is, as a ruling king, who will subdue His enemies, smiting the Moabites, and destroying all who oppose Him.

This prophecy is clearly Messianic. Isaiah speaks of this Messiah who comes as a conquering king: "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. . . But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them" (Isa.11:12-14).

But why is the Messiah associated with a "star"? Why does the prophecy say a star shall come "out of Jacob"? This certainly means that the Messiah would be descended from Jacob. But why is He connected with a "star"? Why is He referred to in the prophecy as a "star"?

How was this famous prophecy fulfilled? According to the writers of the New Testament, there was a "star" that was distinctly associated with the birth of Jesus Christ -- that acted as a herald, and a beacon, of His impending birth. Matthew tells us the story:

The expression "in the east" in the King James Version is not precisely correct. The literal term in the Greek language is anatole and means "a rising of light," "dawn," "dayspring," "rising," or by implication, "east." Literally, they saw his "star rising." The root word means to "cause to arise," "rise up." They had seen this unique star at its "rising," a sidereal appearance, which they regarded as betokening the birth of the Messianic King of the Jews.

The Fulfillment of Prophecy

The word "star" in this verse has been abundantly proved to mean not only a literal "star," but is also used of "constellations," "comets," "meteors," -- in short, it has the widest possible application to the heavenly bodies.

The "wise men" were clearly distinguished men, "magi," who were learned and scholarly, especially in astronomy, mathematics, the sciences and history. They were familiar with the Hebrew prophets. They may have been descendants of the "wise men" of Babylon, during the time of Daniel. On the other hand, they may have been wise men from the dispersed northern ten tribes of Israel, who had been taken into captivity toward the east and northeast, and whose descendants comprised many of the inhabitants of the Parthian empire. The common belief that there were "three" wise men is mere supposition. The Scriptures nowhere tell us how many there were.

Notice the fact that the sudden appearance in Jerusalem of these impressive visitors from the east -- possibly Babylon, or Persia, or the Parthian empire -- had a powerful effect on the residents of Jerusalem, and especially on king Herod. The king himself was greatly disturbed to learn that there was another "king" whose birth had been predicted, who was to rule over the Jews.

The wise men found the boy Jesus, in a house, and presented gifts to Him, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and then departed into their own country, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod (v.11-12). Joseph, the supposed father of the child, was also warned in a dream to flee into Egypt, for Herod would attempt to kill the infant (v.13). He did so, and remained there until after the death of Herod, which occurred in the spring of 4 B.C., just before Passover that year.

Herod, furious when he saw that the wise men had not returned to him, was exceedingly angry, and Matthew informs us of his rage and conduct:

Notice that originally Herod inquired as to the time when the wise men first saw the "new star" in the heavens -- when it first appeared in the night sky (Matt.2:7). Apparently, they first saw it "two years" previously (verse 16). Was this celestial phenomenon the fulfillment of the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:17, the "star of Jacob"?

Rabbinical Sages

Throughout the ages, rabbinical sages and scholars have written about a certain type of "star" -- a tri-planetary conjunction -- that they said would appear in the constellation of Pisces near the time of the birth of the Messiah -- just before the time of His coming.

Dr. Alfred Edersheim, a famous Bible scholar of the nineteenth century, points out that there is one illustrative Jewish statement which, "though not astrological, is of the greatest importance, although it seems to have been overlooked." In his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim mentions the well known Jewish commentator Abarbanel, or Abrabanel, who writes of the importance of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces, in his Commentary on the book of Daniel.

Says Edersheim:

Edersheim points out that one of the smaller Midrashim, called the "Messiah Haggadah" (Aggadoth Mashiach) begins as follows:

This "heptad," or period of "seven," undoubtedly refers to the final "WEEK" of Daniel 9:24-27 -- the final seven years leading up to the coming of the Messiah -- the final seven years of this present age of misrule and misconduct. Notice that at the end of this "week" of seven years, the Messiah is to be "expected."

Notice that the "star" of the Messiah is predicted to rise in the East, in the fifth year -- that is, two or three years before His final coming!

Edersheim goes on to discuss three other ancient Jewish Midrashim, which are entitled "The Book of Elijah," "Chapters about the Messiah," and "The Mysteries of R. Simon, the son of Jochai" --

"Signs and Seasons"

In the book of Genesis, chapter one, God gives us a profound insight, if we are willing to believe it, as to the purpose behind His creation of the sun, moon, and stars. We read: "And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days and years" (Gen.1:14).

What is the significance of a conjunction of the planets of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation of Pisces? The Hebrew name for the constellation of Pisces is Dagim, "the Fishes," and is connected with "multitudes," as in Genesis 48:26 where Jacob blesses Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, "Let them grow into a multitude, in the midst of the earth." The margin says, "Let them grow as fishes do increase."

Says Bullinger of this marginal notation, "It refers to the fulfillment of Genesis 1:28, 'Be fruitful and multiply.' The multitude of Abraham's seed is prominent in the pronouncement of the blessings, where God compares his future posterity to the stars of the sky, and the sand upon the seashore. 'A very great multitude of fish,' as in Ezek.47:9" (Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars, p.93). Thus the constellation of Pisces is connected with Israel, and the "seed" of Abraham. It also, therefore, is connected to that special "seed," who was to be the Messiah.

As Paul wrote in the book of Galatians, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one. And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Gal.3:16). Therefore, Paul went on, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (v.29). Thus the constellation Pisces is directly connected, in every way, with the prophecy of the coming of the "seed of Abraham" -- the Anointed One, the Messiah -- Jesus Christ!

Jupiter is the "royal" planet, and is connected with the tribe of "Judah," from which the royal Messiah was to descend. In the prophecy in Genesis, we read: "The sceptre [symbol of royal power and authority] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [Shiloh -- the Messiah] shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes" (Gen.49:9-11). Isaiah confirms that this Messianic king was to descend from David, of the tribe of Judah (Isaiah 11:1-10). Thus Jupiter is the Messianic planet.

Saturn, also, is a royal planet. Its very name means, however, "the hidden one." And who is the true "hidden one"? The Messiah Himself! He was prophesied to be "hidden" from the purview of this world's leaders (I Cor.2:7-8). During His ministry, Jesus "departed, and hid himself from them" (John 12:36). When Israel sins, God says, "I will hide my face from them" (Deut.31:17). He adds, "And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods" (Deut.31:18). Isaiah says, "I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him" (Isaiah 8:17). The prophet speaks of the Messiah, saying, "Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour" (Isa.45:15).

It should be apparent that when Jupiter, a Messianic planet, goes into conjunction with Saturn, a Messianic planet, in the sign of Pisces, a Messianic constellation, we have three signs of the Messiah meeting together in the heavens -- and the number "three" is the number of "decision," "the signature of God," and "finality." Furthermore, the incredible fact that this sign appeared in the heavens three times in one year in 7 B.C. is even more testimony that something very established, certain, and with finality, was shortly to occur with vast Messianic implications!

No wonder the wise men -- however many of them there were -- who were students of astronomy, as well as ancient Hebrew prophecy, were startled, thrilled, excited, and decided to take a long, expensive, arduous journey, to Jerusalem, to inquire further about this expected Messianic king, whose portent they had seen in the heavens!

Heavenly Portent of the Messiah

Edersheim continues discussing the discovery of this conjunction by the great astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630 A.D.). Kepler discovered the three laws of planetary motion, which later formed an indispensable part of Sir Isaac Newton's discovery of the law of universal gravitation. Edersheim writes of Kepler, saying:

The fact that there was such a conjunction,which created a fleeting, temporary, "evanescent star" at that time, is certainly amazing! But incredibly, there is even more proof that such a "star" really burst into temporary existence in the very year Christ was born, 4 B.C., and in the VERY MONTH!

This very "star" was seen and born witness to by the astronomical tables of the ancient Chinese. Says Alfred Edersheim:

Edersheim adds this very important observation. Notice!

Take careful note: The wise men "saw" an evanescent star at its "rising," or appearance, in the east, two or three years before the birth of Christ, in 7 B.C. They then arranged to go to Jerusalem, to find out from the Jewish authorities more information about the birth of the "king of the Jews," which they believed the heavenly sign predicted. Then, after being informed that an ancient Biblical prophecy foretold His birth in Bethlehem, they left the presence of Herod and the Jewish authorities, to go to Bethlehem, in search of the newborn king. At this time they saw another sidereal apparition in the heavens! Matthew tells us:

How incredible! This very "evanescent star" -- which the Magi saw over Bethlehem, about four miles south of Jerusalem -- was also witnessed and verified by Chinese astronomers in China -- thousands of miles to the east -- in the very month of February, 4 B.C. -- the very month in which we have shown Jesus Christ was most likely born!

Franklyn M. Brantley, in his book The Christmas Sky, commented on Moses, the Exodus, the constellation Pisces, and the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Brantley writes:

Moses himself was a "figure" or "TYPE" of the Messiah promised in the Scriptures. He delivered Israel out of Egypt, and brought them to the Promised Land. God led and inspired him to prophesy, "And the LORD said unto me . . . I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words into his mouth: and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him" (Deut.18:17-19).

More Evidence -- The Beginning of Christ's Ministry

Another line of evidence proving the year of Christ's birth is to work backward from the date or year of the beginning of His ministry. To calculate the beginning of the ministry of Christ, we use the amazing prophecy found in Daniel, chapter 9, the "seventy weeks prophecy." This astounding prophecy predicted the very year the true Messiah would begin His ministry. Incredibly, the rabbis of the Jewish nation have overlooked the Messianic implications of this staggering prophecy, made 500 years before the time of Christ! Notice!

The Septuagint version of the Old Testament Scriptures was translated into Greek about 250 years before the time of Christ, and therefore was uncontaminated by any later "Christian editing," or, for that matter, any later "Jewish rabbinical editing" after the time of Christ, to "deny" how He fulfilled the incredible prophecy found in Daniel, chapter 9. So let's notice this prophecy in the Septuagint:

Now notice! A "day" is a year in being fulfilled in terms of Biblical prophecy (see Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:4-6). Seventy "weeks" equals 70 sevens, or 70 X 7 = 490 "days" or "years" in total complete fulfillment. However, only 7 weeks and 62 weeks were to pass until the coming of "CHRIST THE PRINCE"! This means that we multiply 69 weeks by 7 days per week and come up with 483 "days" or "years" in being fulfilled.

Notice again. This period of time of the prophecy is to be counted from "the going forth of the command" for the building of Jerusalem! Daniel was given this prophecy in 538 B.C., the first year of Darius, king of the Medes (Daniel 9:1-2).

Three decrees were made by Persian kings regarding the building of Jerusalem and the Temple. The first was by Cyrus, in 537 B.C. (Ezra 1:1-4). But 483 years later would bring us to 54 B.C. Nothing significant occurred on that year at all. The next decree was that of Darius in 520 B.C. (Ezra 6:1-11). If we subtract 483 from 520, we come to the year 37 B.C. Nothing of any importance concerning a Messiah appearing occurred that year either. No Messiah is reported to have come at either of those two times! But notice! We read in Ezra these words:

This leaves only the commandment that went forth from king Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes also made a decree concerning the rebuilding and refurbishing of Jerusalem. In the seventh year of his reign, he sent Ezra the scribe up to Jerusalem with a copy of his decree (Ezra 7:7, 12-28). This was in 457 B.C. If we count 483 years from 457 B.C., we come to the fascinating year of 27 A.D.! (Remember, there is no year "zero," so when passing from B.C. to A.D., or vice versa, you have to "add one year" for the chronological dates to come out correctly.)

What occurred in 27 A.D.? That is the very prophesied year the Messiah was to "appear" and to began His ministry! Who began His ministry in 27 A.D.? None other than Jesus Christ!

Christ the LAMB of God

When Christ was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon Him like a dove. We read of His baptism in the book of Matthew:

John's gospel gives us morje information about this event. John records:

Notice that twice John refers to Christ as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36). The apostle Paul refers to Christ as our "Passover lamb" in I Corinthians 5:7. In the book of Revelation, Christ is also referred to as the "Lamb of God" (see Rev.5;5-6; 13:8; 14:1-4; 17:14). Peter tells us that we were redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:19).

Now, since Jesus Christ is the "lamb" of God, the question naturally arises, when are lambs born? That is, when do ewes bear lambs in the Middle East? What time of year? Do they bear lambs on December 25, Christmas day? Not at all! Do they bear lambs in the fall -- around September or October? The answer is, No.

When do sheep bear their lambs? The fact is, lambs in the Northern Hemisphere -- including Palestine -- are born beginning in the month of February, and into the springtime!

Thus this fact also strongly supports a FEBRUARY birth for Christ, not long before Passover -- and NOT the fall of the year, or Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Tabernacles, as so many seem to think!

From Baptism to Public Ministry

Christ's baptism, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him, symbolized His being "anointed" for His ministry in a special way by God's Spirit (John 1:32-36).

The very next day after this, Jesus began calling His disciples, to follow Him, calling Andrew, Peter's brother (John 1:40-41). The next day He called Philip, who found Nathaniel (v.43-49). The third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, which Jesus attended, where He performed His first public "miracle" (John 2:1-11). Afterwards, he abode in Capernaum, "he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days" (v.12).

This probably brought the story to the beginning of March. At this time, very likely, Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days (Luke 4:1-4; Matt.4:1-4). After defeating Satan the devil and all his temptations, Jesus was ready -- primed and filled with God's anointing and His Spirit -- to commence His official public ministry. John tells us that His ministry began with controversy, even as it ended, three years later. We read the account in John's gospel:

At this Passover, Jesus was asked, "What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" (John 2:18). Jesus answered: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (v.19). What did Jesus mean? First, we know He was literally in the grave for three days. However, using a "day" for a "year" principle, He also implied that three years from that time, or three Passovers hence, He would be killed, and resurrected! "Three years"! In other words, this statement is further proof that Jesus' ministry lasted exactly three years!

Notice: "Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body" (John 2:20-21).

The Temple of Herod

When did Herod begin construction on the Temple?

Says The NIV Harmony of the Gospels, "According to secular history, Herod initiated the work sometime in 20 B.C. or 19 B.C. This statement was addressed to Jesus at the first passover after he begins his public ministry. The 'forty six years' therefore furnishes another means for identifying the year when his ministry began" (p.317). The authors continue,"Hence the first passover of Jesus' ministry must have been in the spring of A.D. 27" (ibid.).

Emil Schurer in A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Christ adds, "The rebuilding was begun in the eighteenth year of Herod, corresponding to B.C. 20-19 . . ." (vol.1, p.438).

The Unger's Bible Dictionary concurs, saying, ". . . though Herod began the rebuilding B.C. 20, as a whole it was literally true that the temple was 'built in forty and six years,' when the Jews so asserted to Jesus (John 2:20). But the end was not yet, for the work was really continued until A.D. 64, just six years before the final destruction of the temple by the Roman soldiers of Titus" ("Herod," p.471). Peloubet's Bible Dictionary adds, "The restoration was begun B.C. 20, and the temple itself was completed in a year and a half" ("Herod," p.252).

Counting 46 years, then, from 20 B.C., brings us to 26 A.D. by simple subtraction. But, since there was no year zero, we again must add a year -- bringing us to A.D. 27 -- the very year Jesus Christ began His ministry, and celebrated the first Passover of His ministry!

The Final Clinching Proof

In 27 A.D., as we have seen, Jesus Christ began His ministry. But what does this fact tell us about the date and time of His birth?

Luke says that the ministry of Jesus Christ began when "Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23). What does this mean? The word "about" here is hosei in the Greek and means "as if, as it had been, as it were, like as." In other words, Jesus was thirty years old -- He had passed His thirtieth birthday. Says Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, the word means "a. as it were (had been), as though, like as, like." This is its primary definition, though it can also mean "about, nearly." The implication is that He was over thirty.

However, it is clear that He was over thirty, for in order to be "registered" and to begin their ministry, the Levites and priests had to be at least "thirty" years of age (Num.4:3,, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47). Since Jesus was a "priest" after the order of Melchisedek (Heb.7:15-21), it follows that His ministry had to begin after His thirtieth birthday. Since other evidence shows His ministry began about Passover in the spring of 27 A.D., and He was about 30 years old at that time, His birth had to be a few months before Passover! A February birth would fit in very nicely with all the historical and Biblical facts!

The conclusion that Jesus had passed His 30th birthday is validated by Ireneus, in Against Heresies. Ireneus lived A.D. 120-202. He wrote concerning the passage in Luke of Jesus:

Thus when Luke says Jesus was "about thirty," this means, in modern English, He had passed His thirtieth birthday, and was in His thirtieth year. He had just turned thirty. The baptism of Jesus must have been not long before Passover in 27 A.D.

Thus this passage also reveals that Jesus was born in late winter and was about "30" when He was baptized, before Passover in 30 A.D.! If He were born in December, or in August-October, He would NOT have been "about thirty" when He was baptised, shortly before PASSOVER! If He were born in the fall of the year, then He would have been about 29 and a half, or 30 and a half -- not "nearly 30" or "just over 30"!

Only a Messiah born in early 4 B.C. would have fulfilled all the above criteria. Also, only a Messiah born in B.C. 4 would have been born exactly at the inauguration of the fifth millennium from the Creation of Adam and Eve in 4004 B.C. -- that is, precisely 4000 years from Creation -- to usher in the "Messianic age," as Jewish traditions and prophecies predicted would occur.

With all this evidence, it becomes clear -- and plain as day -- that many who profess the name of Christ, and who believe He was born either on December 25 -- the day the pagans worshipped the "reborn sun-god" -- and celebrated the "birthday" of Sol Invictus -- are seriously in error. Also, those who believe that He was born in the fall of the year, around September-October, are equally mistaken. This new evidence clearly points to a birth in February, or late winter, just before spring, in 4 B.C.!